How Will ‘All American’ End? Cast & Boss Tease Final Season Storylines

All American is coming to an end with Season 8, but we are only a third of the way through the final season, and there is still a lot to prepare for. The entirety of the 13-episode final run takes place over the course of a single week in the lives of the expanded Vortex. Jordan (Michael Evans Behling) and Cassius (Osy Ikhile) are working together to put together a joint high school combine to help KJ (Nathaniel Logan McIntyre) and Khalil (Antonio J. Bell) shore up their college prospects. As the pressure to pull off this renegade event mounts, Jordan and Cassius must contend with what it really means to be family as everyone in their circle reaches new crossroads.

“We still see Cassius trying to be a friend and a brother to Jordan,” Ikhile says of the new dynamic after Cassius spent much of Season 7 trying to destroy the Baker legacy. “It’s hard to say without spoiling it, but I will say that Michael Behling is an incredible actor and human being. I’ve loved that we’ve had a lot of scenes together this season, and I am excited for fans to see what that turns into.”

While Cassius is focused on making amends, Jordan is still working on filling Billy Baker’s (Taye Diggs) larger-than-life shoes. “Jordan is stepping into the role of man of the house and trying as much as he can with everything that’s going on with his life. He’s trying to be there for the people around him, his family, his friends, and people who maybe were enemies at one point that come back in,” Behling teases.

Cassius isn’t the only family that Jordan is having to worry about. Layla (Greta Onieogou) is back from tour at the start of the season, and a lot has shifted in the dynamic in their marriage over the course of six months. They need to figure out how to avoid drifting apart before Layla is set to head back on the road, or Jordan could end up with a second divorce on his hands.

Things are equally complicated for the next generation. Cassius and Jordan putting aside their differences for a common goal is a mirror to what’s going on with KJ and Khalil, who both find themselves determined to take their football dreams to the next level, no matter the cost.

“There are moments where they find that they have more in common than they thought,” says Antonio Bell. “One thing that I find really beautiful is that Khalil and KJ feel like two sides of the same coin. I think Khalil would be a lot more like KJ if he had grown up in his circumstances, and KJ would be more like Khalil if the situation was reversed. That duality helps them connect this season… I feel like Khalil really gets to come into his manhood this year. He grows up in real time before our eyes.”

Maturity is a big theme for the younger generation. It’s what Lauryn Hardy is most excited for fans to see in Tori during the final season. Meanwhile, Alexis Chikaeze teases that Amina has been getting into “good trouble” at boarding school. Fans still have to wait a couple more episodes to find out exactly what she’s been up to while she’s been away, but showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll has already teased that Amina’s secret will have repercussions for everyone in the Vortex.

This is going to be a massive, life-changing week for every character on the show. So, who is going to be the most in need of a therapist by the end of this journey?

“All of them,” Caroll says with a laugh, but there’s a reason to be optimistic. “They all go through it at various points in the season, but by the end, they are stronger, better, and ready to really embrace the next chapter of their lives because of what they’ve been through. They’ll need their priest during the season, but by the time we get to the end, they’re on their way to happiness.”

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Getting through the tough times with the help of your village is a central pathos of All American, and it’s a message that the cast and crew want fans to carry with them after the show’s final credits roll.

“Hopefully we helped bring family and community and friends together,” Caroll continues. “Some of the best feedback we would ever get was like, ‘My son and I actually bonded over the show when we hadn’t really talked in any sort of deep way in years,’ or when teachers told us they could start relating to their students using the show. When I hear stuff like that, it is such a blessing.”

It’s a sentiment that Ikhile echoes when asked to reflect on the legacy of the CW drama. “The legacy of love and family — the family that you’re born with and the family that you choose are equally important. Hold those that are dear to you close because you never know when you’re going to have the opportunity anymore. A lot of love, care, and respect have gone into this entire show, and I really hope the fans feel that, too.”

All American is also about dreams and never giving up. “We saw Spencer [Daniel Ezra] come from not the best of neighborhoods, not the best circumstances, but we saw him fight and accomplish his goals, his dreams,” says McIntyre. “Anybody can be a hopeful dreamer if you put your mind to it.”

For Caroll, the legacy of the show is the combination of all the above. “I hope the legacy of the show is that it encouraged the community that watched it to dream and dream big. So often the messaging that we get is all about survival, but I really want to encourage them to shoot for their dreams. That’s truly what this show is all about.”

So, fans can expect to go through an increasingly tumultuous week with their favorite characters — and many of their returning favorites, according to Caroll, who specifically cites a Layla and Olivia (Samantha Logan) episode as one of her favorites of the season — before All American signs off and sends the Vortex off into the future. It’ll be about the importance of family and going for your dreams, which will undoubtedly be an emotional experience.

“Go into it with an open mind. We’ve got a new cast, new people. We’ve got similar stories and new stories, so go into it with an open mind and continue to enjoy it. I think you will find love and peace. I think you’ll find something in there for you,” Behling advises fans.

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Bell agrees that having an open mind will help fans have more fun with the end of the show. “We do get closure for all of these characters, but there are some moments that are kind of open, and fans get to write their own endings,” the actor teases. “They get to imagine where these characters land and where they go.”

Onieogou and Kareem Grimes, who plays Preach, recommend that fans revisit the previous seven seasons before watching the finale. And keep the binge-watching on loop if saying goodbye feels too difficult. The whole cast and Caroll agree that having tissues nearby would be a great idea.

“[The finale] should be sponsored by Kleenex at this point. It’ll be very emotional. Fans should be prepared for a rollercoaster ride because even though the season only spans a week in the characters’ lives, they are all at a crossroads and it all meets up in a climactic way,” Caroll says. “In the process, we look back over the course of the eight seasons of the show. We spend time giving each character their proper goodbye and giving the relationships their proper goodbye.”

Don’t be too stressed out, though. McIntyre promises the tissues will be mostly for mopping up happy tears. “Be ready to just feel a bunch of joy in your chest, because that’s what it felt like filming it,” he reveals. “When the fans watch it, and they’ve been there from the beginning to experience the journey, they’re going to feel nothing but joy. Maybe a little sadness that it’s over, but mostly joy.”

All American, Mondays, 8/7c, The CW